If living life in a 1960s-era time capsule is the goal, The Cambodian Space Project, those musical champions of retro Khmer space rock, continue to blast their way back to a simpler, sublime past.
The band’s latest efforts come by way of a 7-inch 45 titled Rom Ding Dong (Ding Dong Dance). The vinyl serves as a teaser to the band’s forthcoming album, Electric Blue Boogaloo, scheduled for release later this year.
Much has been written about CSP’s recent touring schedule and the band’s high-profile hook-ups in the Detroit music scene. Last year the band played and recorded its third album, Whiskey Cambodia, with Motown guitar maestro Dennis Coffey, who polished the CSP sound with a wide-brimmed ointment of 1970s-era funk.
Electric Blue Boogaloo was recorded in Bali and France and mixed by veteran Detroit producer Jim Diamond, once a collaborator with White Stripes and the owner of Ghetto Recorders, an old-school analogue recording studio. With Diamond behind the mixing boards, CSP drifts from the slick R&B moorings of the band’s previous album and returns to its fuzzy rock ‘n’ roll roots.
The titular track is a daytime dreamscape balanced precariously between driving, masculine rhythms and effervescent female vocals. From the opening bar, a square-jawed line of background vocalists chant “go, go, go – go, go gorilla, go.” The heavy repetition and flattened R’s evoke a band of ape kings escaped from Timothy Leary’s version of Godzilla vs King Kong. A little dark, a lot of trippy.
Lead singer Kak Channthy’s vocals surf like a sea goddess on top of the monkey-men’s waves. Her voice is expansive and playful, a lyrical contrast to the simplicity of the sounds that carry her. And the deep background vocals set a perfect stage to showcase her range. In similar recurring fashion, she sings along the low end for two verses, soars to the clouds for a third and then parachutes down through the middle ranges for the fourth. The duelling repetitions, different in cadence, complexity and tone, combine for a sonic tapestry both dreamy and surreal yet rhythmic and danceable.
The B-side is a CSP mashup of two 1970s-era hits, Broken Heart Woman and Land of 1,000 Dances. Broken Heart Woman was originally penned by Yol Aularong and called Broken Heart Man. As such, it was intended for a male singer, and the song talks about playing fast and loose with the ladies. Yet almost as soon as it was released, female singers of the day co-opted the lyrics and gave the song a definitive vixen quality.
In CSP’s hands, the song remains true to its straight-ahead rock heritage. The original was no doubt inspired by Van Morrison’s Gloria (or maybe the Door’s version a few years later), and the song’s signature bass line drifts in and out, appearing just long enough to give the tune the feel of familiarity. The refrain riffs off Cannibal & the Headhunters’ cover of Land of 1,000 Dances (originally written by Louisiana gospel singer Chris Kenner and made famous by Wilson Picket).
As a teaser, the 7-inch Rom Ding Dong is nearly certain to leave fans itching for more. The only hitch is the format. Vinyl’s promise of superior sound is only as good as the turntable that spins it, if you can even find such a thing (hat tip to Ramon and Chris at The Flicks). For aficionados with the gear at home, the decision is easy. For the rest us, well, we’ll just have to crank up the volume and piss off someone else’s neighbours.
Rom Ding Dong is available for $15 at the Vintage Shop in Russian Market, Space Four Zero, and KAMA Records in Kampot.
WHO: Cambodian Space Project
WHAT: Rom Ding Dong, 7-inch vinyl
WHEN: Yesterday, man
WHERE: A CSP merchant near you
WHY: Retro pop musical swag at its trippiest